Fortunately
for me, there were a healthy number of Roger Stern Spider-Man books
released a couple of years ago. Like fine wine, I allowed these books
to be rotated through my backlog organically, knowing that they were
only going to get better with age. I had already read this material
before and so there was no sense of urgency for me to do so again,
comfortable with the knowledge that whenever I got around to reading
them that they would be great reads. It turns out I was only half
right in the case of this book, as TheSpectacular
Spider-Man issues collected in this book were not a part
of the original trade paperback release which I dumped on eBay prior
to this re-release.

Roger
Stern had created the Hobgoblin as a sort of throwback to the
original Green Goblin, with the identity being such a tightly guarded
secret that he wouldn't even divulge it to then-editor Tom DeFalco orevenhis own wife. This information and more is all
detailed in the Afterword in this book. I witnessed the Hobgoblin
saga unfold in front of my impressionable eyes beginning in 1983,
with the climax, issue 289, being released in the Direct Market on
Valentines Day, 1987. Four years later and it turned out it was Ned
Leeds?!? But I was so sure that it was Lance Bannon...

Well,
it turns out that Ned Leeds was Tom DeFalco's choice. Roger Stern's
choice was...ah, but that would be telling. And so it was that this
three issue prestige format mini-series came to be. Stern had been
given the chance to set the Hobgoblin saga right, albeit a decade
later. This time out Stern had to deal with a number of recent
developments, such as Norman Osborn (the original Green Goblin)'s
unlikely return from the grave, the marriage of Peter Parker to Mary
Jane Watson, and the then-dead Aunt May. It was a treat to see Roger
Stern, half of the Stern/Romita, Jr. team on the book, team up with
Ron Frenz, half of the DeFalco/Frenz team who followed them on the
title in the '80s. It's like Paul Simon teaming up with Paul
McCartney or something.

In
true Roger Stern fashion, he goes about naming all of his suspects
and then lets readers follow the trail of breadcrumbs without ever
feeling like they're being spoon fed the answer. Again, I won't tell
you who the Hobgoblin is. Ideally, I'd like you to buy the
forthcoming Spider-Man By Roger Stern Omnibus Vol. 1 upon it's
release in 2014, devour it, track down the back issues for Amazing
Spider-Man #252-289, Annuals 18-20, Spider-Man Vs. Wolverine
#1, and then buy and read this book. Not much for a homework
assignment, is it? I promise that it will all be well worth it to
read the Hobgoblin saga in its entirety. Don't do it for me, do it
for yourself. You can thank me later or buy me a drink sometime.

TheSpectacular Spider-Man issues
were new to me. Stern only co-plotted them, but they are still really
good reads. Luke Ross' artwork was wretched in the Clone Saga
trades, but here his style has rapidly evolved just a couple of years
later. He is a much better artist still today, but his artwork has a
more cartoony, fluid movement to it here which I quite liked. I dug
seeing the Hobgoblin go toe to toe with the original Green Goblin,
Norman Osborn...as well as this other guy who was dressed as the
Green Goblin. His identity is not revealed here, and I hope I find
out who it is as I dig through all of my backlogged '90s material
Spider-Man collected editions.

The
only drawback to these Spectacular
Spider-Man issues is the then-new computer coloring, where
colorists went crazy with their new toys. Spider-man is colored forty
shades of pink and light red, never a solid red, and it's annoying.
Oh well, hindsight is 20/20 and all that jazz, right?

This
was a blast to read, and it should be noted that the material in this
book is not included in the forthcoming Spider-Man By Roger
Stern Omnibus Vol. 1, which makes me hope that they can cobble
together enough material for a Volume 2. Dare to dream, right?

Junk
Food For Thought rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The
OCD zone- Some trade paperbacks that are reissued are mild
upgrades. Others, like this one, are a significant upgrade because
this one contains three extra issues.

DVD-style
Extras included in this book: Cover to the
first edition Spider-Man: Hobgoblin Lives
trade paperback from 1998, as well as the bonus material from the
first edition:

Spider-Man/Hobgoblin
Timeline As Compiled By Roger Stern (2
pages)

Afterword
By Roger Stern

Linework
and Color restoration rating: 5 out of 5. Restoration is usually
not a big job once you get into the all digital era of comic books.

Paper
rating: 5 out of 5. Nice dull matte finish coated stock, the same
found in Classic lines and the softcover Marvel
Masterworks.

Binding
rating: 4 out of 5. Perfect bound trade paperback.

Cardstock
cover coating rating: 5 out of 5. The usual high quality waxlike
lamination found on all Marvel trade paperback releases.